Sligo keep their survival hopes alive

ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISIONS ONE & TWO: Sligo 2-18 Antrim 1-11:SLIGO THREW themselves a lifeline with a win at Casement Park yesterday, their first win of the campaign, but the battle to stay in the second division is far from finished.

The visitors stormed into a 1-2 to 0-0 lead on seven minutes. Eamon O’Hara netted after he fielded a centre from Charles Harrison inside the full-back line.

Two pointed frees by Paddy Cunningham and a point from Kevin Brady bought Antrim into the game, but Mark Breheny (2), Adrian Marren and Alan Costello increased Sligo’s lead as they led 1-9 to 0-6 at the break.

Substitutes Kevin Niblock and Tomás McCann put a bit of life into Antrim, with Niblock snatching a point on the resumption. However, a second Sligo goal was a blow to the home side – Brian Curran sweeping the ball home from a David Rooney cross.

Seán Davey added a point and Sligo were coasting at 2-10 to 0-7 after 40 minutes, but then Antrim, thanks to a McCann goal as he soloed through from 70 yards, was the springboard for their revival.

In 16 minutes they hit 1-4 to 0-1 in reply, but they failed to score again during the closing 17 minutes as the visitors tagged on an unanswered seven points with Breheny snatching three of them.